Refrigerator car



Aug. 9,V 1932. s. A. HULL 1,370,913

REFRIGERATOR am Filed ,April 5, 1929 4 sheets-sheet 2 720612r @e0/:ye Qi M [gf/ZM MZ@ M4 fm @is ug. 9, 1932. G. A. HULL. 3770,911

' REFRIGERATOR cAn Filed -April 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 9, 192,2a G, A, HULL 1,879,931

REFRIGERATOR GAR Filed AApril 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. HULL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T EQUIPMENT SPECIALTIES COM- PANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS REFRIGERATOR CAR Application led April 5,

The present invention relates to refrigerator cars and is particularly concerned with refrigerator cars adapted to be used with ice and a melting reagent to increase the cooling s eect.

The present invention contemplates a reduction in the amount of ice used with a consequent reduction in the dead weight of ice hauled in the car and at the same time a material reduction in the temperature attained so that the car is adapted to be used for the mostperishable commodities.

The present car may be used with salt applied to the ice in the ice chambers, without permitting salt water drippings to drip on the tracks, bridge structures, truck parts or automatic train control apparatus, and the resulting brine may be discharged at icing stations simultaneously with the placing of additional ice in the bunkers.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerator car in which the dead weight of ice hauled may be reduced and the cooling eii'ect of the remaining ice inzf creased by the application of salt, without deleteriously affecting the railroad equipment, tracks, etc.

Another object is the provision of an improved refrigerator car having a novel system of air circulation through drippings of brine and about brine tanks, thereby eiiecting a greater reduction oftemperature without the necessity of carrying so much ice as has been required in the prior art.

Another ob'ect is the provision of a novel and effective brine tank construction for refrigerator cars provided with means for effecting the cleaning of the tanks, means for preventing overfiow due to surges resulting from the movement of the car, and means for dumping the brine, coveniently controlled from the exterior of the car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference parts throughout the several 1929. Serial No. 352,626.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator car, diagrammatically illustrating the novel system of air circulation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken partly on line 2-2 and partly on the plane of the line 55 2cv-2a;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed sectional view of one end of the car, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modifiedl form, taken on a plane similar in location to o the plane of the line 2a-2a;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the same modified form of refrigerator car.-

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 indicates the improved refrigerator car in its entirety. The exact details of construction of the floor, walls and ceiling may be varied without affecting the merits of the present invention, and it' should be understood that in the present embodiment, many of the details of construction are merely diagrammatically illustrated. z

The car thus comprises a supporting framework consisting of longitudinally eX- tending stringers 11 and transverse frame. members 12 supporting a floor 13 which may be of substantially the same construction as that disclosed in my prior application for refrigerator cars, Serial v No. 337,291, filed' February-4, 1929, 30

The floor 13, as well as the end walls 14, side Walls 15, doors 16 and ceiling 17 are provided with the usual layers of heat insulation for preventing the conduction of heat from the outside of the car to the inside, and g5 the car is usually provided with doors 16 at each side, adjacent the middle of the car and with bulkheads 18 forming ice chambers 19 at each end of the car. The car is also pro- 4vided with hatchways 20 located in the roof 90' at each end and communicating with the ice chambers 19, the hatchways 20 being provided with a heat insulating closure indicated diagrammatically at 21.

In the embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention, the bulkhead 18 comprises a plurality of studs 22 extending fromthe floor 13 to the ceiling 17 and adapted to provide a. support forthe wooden bulkhead wall 23. The bulkhead wall 23 is of less height than 1'00 The floor 26 of the ice chamber 19 is provided with a sheet metal pan 27 extending upward for a slight distance upon the Walls of the ice chamber, and adapted' to drain to a conventional water trap 28 which is adapted to permit the discharge of water without emitting air and the metal pan 27 is located below the level of drainage of the floor 13 to drain both the floor13 of the car proper,

v and the ice chamber 19.

The ice chamber 19 is provided with an ice grating 29 which may consist of a plurallty of spaced wooden members 3() secured toi au gether by transverse bolts 31 and spacing members 32, and adapted to be removed in sections, one of which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral The ice grating 29 may be supported by a pair of angle irons 34 bolted to the end `Vall 14 and bulkhead 18, respectively, by bolts 35 with one flange xtending horizontally for the support of the ice grating 29. Any form of ice grating may be utilized and the preferred form of grate construction is 'shown in my prior Patent No. 1,690,412, issued Novemer 6, 1928, on grate construction for the ice compartments of relfrigerator cars.

The grate supporting members or angle irons 34 in the present invention are located substantially above the drip pan 27, decreas- .ing the vertical dimensions of the ice chamber and providing space for thel location of a brine tank 36 beneath the grating 29.`

Above the grating 29 the ice chamber may be provided with a lining 37 of wire, screen or perforated metal for supporting the ice in spaced relation to the walls of the ice chamber and permiting free access of the air to the ice.

The brine tanks 36, one of which is located in each end of the car below the ice chambers 19, may comprise sheet metal tanks having plane rectangular sides 38 and bottom 39, the area of the bottom 39 being preferably made slightly greater than the area of the grating 29 to provide a tank 36 of a size adapted to catch substantially all of the drippings from the ice chamber 19.

The rear wall 14 ofthe car is provided with vertical studs 40 spaced like thel studs 22 of the bulkhead 18 and interpo :ed between the lining 37 of the ice chamber 19 and the inside ofthe wall 14. The studs 40 may be undercut at 41 to receive the tank 38 and it will thus be observed that air cooling conduits 42 and 43 tanks 36. Similar conduits are provided at 44 at the ends of the brine tanks and at the sides of the car by means of the studs 45 and the brine tank 36 is supported in spaced relation to the bottom of the metal drip pan 27 by means of a plurality of transverse supporting members 46 which maybe formed of relatively heavy pieces of lumber having feet 47 at each end and the middle portion cut out at 48 to permit flow ofthe Water below the tank transversely of the car.

The brine tanks 36 are preferably provided with cleanout openings 49 having a water tight closure 56 which may be of the type shown in my prior application for hand hole closures,` Serial No. 251,269, filed February 2, 1928, and the tanks are also preferably provided with a cover or baffle 57 adapted to permit drippings from the ice chamber 19 to enter the tanks 36, but also adapted to prevent overflow of the brine due to surges caused by the motion of the car. The baffle 57 is preferably constructed in two or more sections, having flanges turned up at 57a where the sections join, as shown in Fig. 2, so that either section may be removed separately, together with the sections of ice grating, and a man may stand in the tank to clean it out with a shovel, if desired.

The baiie 57 may comprise flat sheets of metal provided with a plurality of perforations 58l and the baffle 57 may be supported in the brine tank 36 by a pair of angle irons 59 riveted to the sides of the tank adjacent its upper edge. The balile 57 may then be placed upon the angle irons 59 and both the tank and bale may be secured in place by cast metal lugs 60 engaging the top of the baiiie and secured to the studs by means of nails or screws 61.

, The car is preferably provided with a space or passage 62 below the ice grating 29 and above the baflie 57 through which the brine drippings pass to the brine tank 36 and the downward currents of air cooled by contact with the melting ice in the ice chamber 19, are also passed through the drippings at 62 and about the brine tanks 36 which are filled with extremely cold brine. t

Each of the brine tanks is also preferably provided with one or more discharge outletssuch as the outlet formed by the pipe 63 located adjacent the bottom at the bulkhead side of the brine tank 36. The pipe 63 is joined by an integralelbow to alT-shaped pipe 64 having a downwardly extending pipe 65 for discharging the water adjacent the water trap 28. The discharge pipe 63 may be provided with an integral fiange 66 for securing the same by means of rivets or other convenient fastening means to the brine tank 36 and the T-shaped pipe 64 may also be provided with an attaching flange 67 adapted to receive a cover 68 having a packing surrounding the valve rod 69.

The rod 69 is provided with apiston 70 within the pipe 64 and the piston 70 may be moved from the position of Fig. 2 where it closes the discharge pipe 63 to a position adjacent the cover 68, where a conduit is open through the pipes 63 and 65 to the Water trap 28.

The rod 69 may be extended through the wall 15 of the car and provided with a handle 71 and the valve may also be provided with a helical spring 72 tensioned between the cover 68 and piston 70 and adapted to maintain the piston valve 70 in closed position except when it is propped open by a prop inserted between handle 71 and the side of the car.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the brine tank 36 is provided with a baille 57 which may consist of a stamped, dished metal plate which is imperforate at its outer edge, but provided with a plurality of perforations 58 adjacent the middle. The baille 57 is also provided with an auxiliary baffle 73 supported in spaced relation to the baille 57 by means of Z brackets 74 and the baille 73 may be dished upwardly to permit the brine to run olf the baille 73 through the crack 7 5 and apertures 58 into brine tank 36.

Since surges of brine in the tank 36 will encounter the outer edge ofthe baffle 57 first, only the most severe surges will strike the perforated portion of the baille 57 at the apertures 58. Any brine which might be projected through the apertures 58 would strike the auxiliary baille 73 and due to the slope of the baille 57, would flow back into the tank 36 s In this modied form, the discharge pipe 63 communicates with a cylinder 76 disposed in a vertical position, the cylinder 76 communicating with a discharge pipe 77 which terminates adjacent the water trap 28. rlhe cylinder 76 is provided with a piston 78 actuated by a piston rod 79 which may extend vertically between the studs 22 of the bulkhead 18, its upper end being pivotally connected to a lever 80 by means of a yoke 81 and v pin 82. The lever 80 is fiXedly secured to a shaft 83 which is rotatably mounted in a bore passing through the wall 15 and provided with a crank 84 for rotating shaft 83.

The cylinder 76 is provided with a cover 85 having a packing which permits a slight pivotal movement of the rod 7 9 and the piston may be actuated to open the discharge pipe 63 bv rotating shaft 83 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 5,.

In the present embodiment, it will thus be observed the discharge valve may be conveniently controlled by an actuating device which is accessible from the top of the car where the workmen will be located in filling the ice chamber and the brine may be discharged simultaneously with the loading of ice.

The operation of the system of circulation of the refrigerator car is as follows:

The ice chamber 19 is filled with ice through the hatchway 20 and a melting rei agent in the form of rock salt is applied to the ice. The hatchways having been closed, the car is filled with perishable merchandise and the air in the ice chambers 19 will be cooled, causing the cool air to settle and drawing warm air from the top and middle of the car towards both ends. As the cool air settles in the ice chamber 19, it will pass below the ice grat-ing through the brine drippings and about the brine tank, the air being cooled to a still lower temperature by intimate co-ntact with the brine drippings and with thetank filled with cold brine, and the air which passes into the merchandise chamber of the car at the Ventilating opening 25 is considerably colder than that supplied by the ice chambersof the prior art, in which salt cannot be used on account of the dripping of the brine upon the railroad equipment, tracks,

bridge structures, etc.

Salt applied to alesser quantity of ice will give colder temperatures more quickly than will large quantities of ice without salt; therefor the air 'of the refrigerator car will be cooled more effectively and will preserve the most perishable commodity during a long period oftime. rlhe brine tanks will catch the brine which drips from the ice grating and the cooling effect of the brine in the tanks will also be utilized. When the ice chamber is filled at the icing stations, the brine in the brine tank may also be discharged and at periodical intervals the sediment may be cleaned out of the brine tank from the inside of the car below the bulkhead by means of the hand hole 49.

It will thusbe observed that have invented a refrigerator car which is adapted to effect a material reduction in the temperatures attained by means of the use of the combined features of an ice chamber and brine tanks, and at the same time the dead weight of ice hauled in the car is also materially reduced. By means of the circulation of the air through the brine drippings and about the brine tanks, as well as through the salted ice, the air of the car is more effectively cooled and maintainedat the proper temperature for perishable commodities which have heretofore given considerable diiliculty in their preservation during transchamber,

between said ice chamber and drip I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a car structure having floor, walls and roof with a bulkhead, forming an ice chamber in said car, said bulkhead havingventilating Openings above and below the same, an ice su-pport in said ice chamber, a brine tank rectangular in plan and of substantially the `same floor area as said ice support located below said ice support to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said car having an air passage between said ice support and brine tank for cooling airby passage through brine drippings and said car having air lpassages about and under said brine tank for cooling air by contact with said tank and a drip pan below said brine tank and below the car floor for receiving drainage from both said tank and floor.

2. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a refrigerator car, having a merchandise chamber, an ice chamber, and a drip pan for draining said chambers, with a brine tank rectangular in plan and of substantially the same floor area as said ice chamber disposed pan to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber.

. 3. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a refrigerator car, having a merchandise chamber, an ice chamber, and a drip pan for draining said chambers, with a brine tank rectangular in plan and of substantially the same floor area as said ice'chamber disposed between said ice chamber and drip pan to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank being supported inl spaced relation to said pan and the walls of said car to form air cooling passages about said tank.

`4. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a refrigerator car, having a merchandise an ice chamber, and a drip pan for draining said chambers, with a brine tank rectangular in plan and of substantially the same floor area as said ice chamber disposed between said ice chamber and drip pan to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank being supported in spaced relation to said pan and the walls of said car to form air cooling passages about said tank, and a valved discharge conduit leading from said brine tank to said drip pan.

5. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a refrigerator ear, having a merchandise chamber, an ice chamber, and a drip pan-for draining said chambers, with a brine tank rectangular in plan and of substantially the same floor area as said ice chamber dis-posed between said ice chamber and drip pan to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank being supported in spaced relation to said pan and the walls of said car to form air cooling passages about said tank, a valved discharge conduit leading from said brine tank to said drip pan, and

and of substantially the same ioor area as said ice chamber below said ice -chamber to receive brine drippings therefrom, a valve for controlling discharge of brine from said tank and an operating mechanism for said valve, having its handle disposed adjacent said hatchway.

7. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a ear structure having floor, walls and roof with a bulkhead, forming an ice chamber in said car, said bulkhead having ventilatingbpenings above and below the same, an ice support in said ice chamber, and a brine tank located below said ice support to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank being of substantially rectangular form adapted to utilize all of the space below said ice chamber.

8. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a car structure having floor, walls and roof with a bulkhead, forming an-ice chamber in said car, said bulkhead having ventilating openings above and below the same, an ice support in said ice chamber, and a brine tank located below said ice support to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank bein of substantially rectangular form adapte to utilize all of the space below said ice chamber, and said tank being located in spaced relation to said ice support to permit ventilation through the drippings of brine from said ice support.

9. In a refrigerator car, the combinationl of a car structure having floor, walls and roof with a bulkhead, forming an ice chamber in said car, said bulkhead having Ventilating openings above and below the same, an ice support in said ice chamber, located below said ice support to receive brine drippings from said ice chamber, said brine tank being of substantially rectangular form adapted to utilize all of the space below said ice chamber, and said tank being located in spaced relation to said ice support to permit ventilation through the drippings of brine from said ice support, and a perforated rectangular sheet metal baille for said tank for preventing overflow due to the surging of the brine caused by movements of the car.

l0. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a car structure witha bulkhead forming an ice chamber in said car, said bulkhead having openings for ventilation above and below the same, an iee grating carried by the end of said car and by said bulkhead, a foraminated lining forming ventilation chambers about the ice between said bulka brine tank head and said wall, a brine tank of substantially the same size in plan as said ice chambei', said brine tank being located beneath said ice grating and in spaced relation to the ice grating whereby drippings from said ice grating may fall directly into said brine tank through a ventilated space between said tank and grating.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of March, 1929.

GEORGE A. :mili y 

